VALLEY / VENTURA COUNTY SPORTS : BIG SKY FOOTBALL ROUNDUP : Montana Regroups, Prevails in Double OT

In a game it had no business winning, Montana held off Cal State Sacramento, 41-38, in double overtime in a Big Sky Conference opener in Missoula, Mont.

The Bobcats (2-0) scored the winning touchdown when freshman backup quarterback Nick Walker threw a 23-yard touchdown to Etu Molden. The play helped Montana overcome the embarrassment of blowing a 25-point lead.

“I thought Sacramento State did a heck of a job of making plays and hanging around,” Montana Coach Mick Dennehy said. “Lord knows we had plenty of opportunities to put the game away in the third quarter.”

Montana took a 28-3 lead on a two-yard pass from Drew Miller to Jeremy Watkins with 8:52 left in the third quarter.

But Sacramento (1-1) answered with a 42-yard field goal by Scott Brown and three fourth-quarter touchdowns from Ricky Ray to Chris Kelly--the last with 31 seconds to play--to force overtime.

After exchanging touchdowns in the first overtime, Sacramento settled for a 26-yard field goal by Brown. Montana won on Walker’s pass to Molden.

Wyoming 41, Weber State 16--Quarterback Jay Stoner keyed two third-quarter touchdown drives, and Tim Beasley and Jon Jennings each scored twice as Wyoming (1-1) overcame a sluggish first half against Weber State (1-1) in Laramie, Wyo.

Montana State 65, Western New Mexico 8--Quarterbacks Kasey Harte and Dusty Broderick fueled the Bobcats (2-0) blowout in Bozeman, Mont.

Harte and Broderick completed 12 of 16 passes for 300 yards and five touchdowns as Montana State led, 41-0, before Western New Mexico (1-2) scored in the second quarter.

Idaho State 42, Fort Lewis 3--Nick Whitworth rushed for a school-record 273 yards in 25 carries, scoring twice in the Bengals (2-0)romp over Fort Lewis (0-3) in Pocatello, Idaho.